Safety box hook



July 18, 1944. J. F. ROBERTS SAFETY BOX HOOK Filed July 1, 1943 INVENTOR. John F Boberls, v

BY W ATTORNE Patented July 18, 1944 UNITED STATES SAFETY BOX HooK John F..Roberts, Portland, 0reg., assignor of onehalf to Everett Ernest Carson, Portland, Oreg;

Application July 1, 1943; Serial N o 492,090 8 Claims; (01. 294-26) This invention is directed to a hand implement of the hook type, designed particularly for use in handling and moving freight and heavy objects.

The implement commonly designated a grabhook is carried by theworkmen as an aid in moving and handling freight boxes, and heavy objects of all types. A hook of this character usually, or at least desirably, has a sharply pointed bill as well as a handle rigid with respect to and at a right angles to the plane of the hook proper, and when not directly in use is temporarily stored in a garment pocket of the user. This storage of the conventional type of this hook is usually productive of damage to the garment or person of the workman, owing to the sharp hook. It has been proposed to apply a guard tothe point when the hook is not in use, with such guard in some instances being used as a part of the handle. All such structures known to me are of limited practical value, in that they employ various additional arts for holding the guard in one or the other of its positions; and such additional parts require definite operations by the workman to produce the desiredresult. As the workman in the stress of his duties will not take the time to transferthe guard from one position to another, such guard advantage is usually ignored by the workman and the protective function is entirely lost. Y

The primary object of the presentinvention' is, therefore, the provision of a hook of this 'type provided with a guard to protect the point of the hook in one position and to form a part of the handle in another position, the conversion being simple to effect with no parts to adjust or secure, and with a lock for the guard when in position on the point ofthe hook.

A further object is the provision of a simple and directly-operating locking means for the guard which automatically secures the guard in completely protective position on the point, and isreleased by a simple turning movement of the di Aiurther object is theprovision of a guard serving in one position as a part of the handle, the remaining part of the handle being an integral part of the implement, the guardhaving an extension to fit within and extend substantially throughout the length of the integral handle part, to insure desired rigidity and strength of the complete handle. I l The' invention is illustrated in the'accompanying drawing, in which-- Fig. '1 is a view partly in section andpartly elevation of the hook in operative form, the guard being shown as forming part of the handle. Fig. 2- is a side view of the hook partly in section with the guard moved partway toward its hook point shielding'position.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the handle with the guard part and the fixed part of the handle in separated relation.

Figure 4 is a view in side elevation of thehook with the point fully guarded.

Figure 5 is a view inperspective of the hook with the parts in position for use. V

, The improved hook is of conventional form, including a handle, a hook shank, and an artiole-engaging point at the end of the bill of the shan I, V

In'the improved construction the handle is generally designated H and is made in two sections, 1 and 2, the section I being hollow and rigid with a hollow hook body 3, while section 2 of the handle is coupled with but movable relative to the fixed section I to provide a point guard 'tobe later described. I

The handle section I, hereinafter termed the fixed U section is integral and rigid with a hollow'tubular portion l of the hook body, the bandle section I being at" right angles to the plane of the-hollow body 3, and the latter being curved forwardly and downwardly to conform to conventional shape. The hook shank is completed 'by a'solid bar or rod-likeshank section 5, terminally formed as a bill "6, having a usually sharp point 1, The tubular portion 4 of the body '3 is formed at its free end with a tapering length 85 of rectangular or other non-circular cross sectional form to' provide a socket 8 and the solid shank portion 5 has an end in this socket and is formed with atapering head 9 of a size and shape to fitsnugly in the socket 8 and rigidly hold the tubular portion 4 andsection Sagainst and body 3 against relative longitudinal, rnovement. 'That portion of the'tubular portion 4, above the socket 8, is of a size and shape to permit free turning of'the head 9 of the hook shank section 5, when such head has ,been moved inwardly from the'socket. This provides for an operation of the parts to be later described.

The end-of the hollow fixed handlesection I adjacent the 'body'3, together with the wall of Such body are integrally 'formed to provide (a respect to the movable handle section 2, which will be later referred to. I

dle section I, the spring catch tongue 25 maintaining a tight connection. As required for use the bill of the hook is in a plane at right angles to the length of the handle. When it is required to apply the guard, the finger strip 26 is depressed, releasing the shank section 5 from the wall of the socket 8, and the shank section 5 is moved inwardly of the portion 4 to free the head 9 from the socket 8, and when the head is free the shank portion 5 is turned to fully reverse the position of the point 1 where it substantially underlies the inner end of the handle section I, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The movable handle The movable handle section 2 has a part [6:

corresponding in size and shape to that of the fixed handle section I, so thatwhen the handle sections are in alined position a substantially unbroken handle, extending on both sides of the body 3, is provided as clearly shown in Figure 5,

The movable handle section 2 also includes an additional axially extending,. fixed part l 1-,.of a diameter. to telescopically fit snugly within. the fixed. handle section I and of a length substantially equal to that ofthe, fixed handle section.

as shown in Figure 1'.

The movable handle section 2 is formed with an opening I8 at its, free end to receive the point I of the hook and to provide a protective guard for such point, the handle section. 2 at such free I,

end being somewhat constricted. The part I! of the handle section -2 does,not extend to the constricted free end of such section and is secured therein by a transverse pinl9- across which extends thelooped end 2| of aspring strip 20,

such loop 2| lying in the opening I 8', to bear on the point I. when the guard is in. place and prevent relative movement. The spring strip 20 extends inwardly of. the pin l9, and longitudinally of. the part i! of the handle section. This part [1, has formed therein the opposite longitudinal slots or openings 22: and 24, an edgeof the slot 22 having a notch 23 cuttherein at the free end of the part [1. That portion of the spring stripextending lengthwise of the part I1, isarranged as a, single spring length, and normally crosses the slot 22 diagonally and: also extends diagonally of the part H from the'outer end of the slot 22 toward the inner end of the slot 24, where it engages in the recess'20',

The locking guide I 2' extends across the part 11, I

through the slots 22 and 2-4, thenarrow portions lying in the slots and the spring strip engages across the edge of a' portion [3 opposite from the notch 23. Thus when the handle section 2'is drawn out to the position shown in Figure 3, the spring strip will be flexed and a portion of, the locking guide will be engaged in the notch 23 between the notch and spring. The handle section 2 thus may turn on'the locking bar to be 1;

When. the hook is in normal operative position,

as shown. inhFigs, Land 5, the shank portion 5 is secured by pinl fl ini the socket. 8,. with: the head 9. of shank portionv 5 rigid in the socket 8 of hollow portiont of the body 3 .The part I! of the handle section '2 is telescoped in 1 11? 13%.

A spring. strip 26 is sesection 2 is then withdrawn from the handle section I, thelocking guide I2 sliding in the slots 22 and 24 during this movement. This brings the parts to the position shown in Figure 3, where the spring strip has caused the free end of the part II to shift to engage the locking guide, or more particularly one of the narrow portions [3 of that guide, in the notch 23, looking thehandle section 2 against. longitudinal movement. The handle section 2 is then swung down on the locking guide as a pivot. The guard section 2 of the handle is then turned slightly, causing the locking guide section I3 to force the spring laterally until the section !3' ofthe locking guide is freed from the notch. The handle section 2 is then shifted or adjusted to the position shown in Figure. 2 to arrange the openings to receive the point 1 of the hook bill 6, after which the section 2, is shifted to introduce the point 1 into the opening where such point bears. on the loop 2| of the spring strip 2i] as, shown in Figure 4.. The parts are so proportioned that in this position, the portion l3 of the locking guide has been again forced into the notch 23 by the spring 20. The guard section 2 of the handle is thus locked as a guard on the hook point, and. the implement may be safely handled and if desired placed inthe pocketwithout liability of injury to the clothing or person. By turning the handle section 2 to release the locking guide from the notch 23, the handle section. 2 may be readily removed from the point 1, and turned into alinement with section I and moved to fit its part l1, into the fixed handlesection. I. The shank portion 5 is then turned back into operative position, moved: downin the tubular portion 4 until the head is snugly fitted in thesocket. 8 and the pin It automatically entered intothe hole H. The implement is then in operative position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5.

The improved implement provides a hook capable of any and all uses for which such hooks are designed, while at the-same time it provides for guarding the point of thehook by a simple sliding and turning movement of a movable hand-le section. All parts are in predetermined relation to one another, notably when in operative position, and the application of the guard of the movable handle section 2- to the point 1 requires no releaseof pivoted latches, screws, or other parts. The handle section when serving as a guard for the point is locked in that position to prevent any possible derangement, and theclearing of this look and the adjustment of thehandle section 2 tocomplete the implement handle requires only a slight turn of the guard.

The hook as a whole maybe constructed of an appropriate material, in any size for'other purposes, and with any part of the described. structure of any serviceable form or size for a particular function. 3 1 I v j In connecting the movable handle section 2 in handle-forming relation with the fixed handle section I, it will be noted that the handle section 2 is formed at its inner end with a cut-out 24 to accurately receive and fit the portion 15 on one side of the fixed handle section, the diametrically-opposed portion of the part l6 being formed with a relatively enlarged cut-out portion 25' to receive the other portion of the fixed handle section.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A hook implement having a handle, a body extending at right angles from the handle, and a hook bill terminating in a point, said handle being made in two sections, one section being fixed with relation to the hook as a whole and the other section being telescopically joined at one end to the fixed section and movable relative to such fixed section to cooperate at its other end with and form a guard for the point.

2. A hook implement having a handle and a hook proper connected at the transverse center of the handle and terminating in a point, the handle comprising two telescopically related and permanently coupled sections, one of which sections is movable relative to the other section to engage over and form a point guard.

3. A book implement having a handle and a hook proper connected at the transverse center of the handle and terminating in a point, the handle including a section fixed with relation to the hook proper and a second section to telescopically engage the fixed section, means slidably connecting the respective handle sections to permit the second handle section to be moved to a position to cover the point, and means for locking the second section in point-covering position.

4. A construction as defined in claim 3, wherein the locking means includes a spring pressed locking guide forming part of one handle section and slidably cooperating with the other, one of the handle sections being formed to receive such guide under its spring pressure to prevent sliding movement of such handle section.

5. A construction as defined in claim 3, wherein the fixed handle section is formed with a locking guide and wherein the second handle section is longitudinally slotted to receive the guide and permit relative sliding movement of the second handle section, one wall of the slot being formed with an offset notch to receive the guide and prevent guide movement in said slot, and a spring in such second handle section to tend to force the guide into cooperation with such notch.

6. A hook implement comprising a body having an end formed to provide a socket, the body having a right angularly directed portion at its other end,'a handle comprising two tubular sections arranged in end to end relation, one of said sections being integrally formed at one end with the right angularly extending portion of the body, the other section having a reduced longitudinally extending portion adapted to telescope into the fixed section to maintain the two handle sections together, said reduced portion being slotted throughout the major portion of its length, a bar secured across the fixed handle section and passing through the slotted portion of the other section and providing a pivot upon which the said other section may be swung when withdrawn from the fixed section, the said other section of the handle being open at the end remote from the fixed section, and a hook having a shank portion terminating in a, head engaged in such socket, said head being movable longitudinally in the socket to facilitate turning the hook from an operative to an inoperative position, the saidother section of the handle being movable to a position perpendicular to the fixed section to facilitate engagement in the open end of the said other section of the hook point.

7. A hook implement as set forth in claim 6, with means for establishing a locking connection between the reduced extension of the said other section of the handle and the bar upon which said other section is adapted to swing, when the said hook point is engaged in the open end of the said other handle section.

8. A hook implement as set forth in claim 6, with means for establishing a locking connection between the reduced extension of the said other section of the handle and said bar when the handle sections are in one predetermined relation, and means for latching the handle sections together when the said reduced extension is tele- 

